At the beginning of this year, the Thresher received a tip that the Rice student health insurance policy, Aetna, only covers abortions in the event of rape, incest or the endangerment of the life of the mother. An examination of the policy confirmed this tip to be factual.

The impending Rice Memorial Center renovations are a potentially exciting new development for Rice’s campus. Upgrades could transform the RMC into an even more welcoming hub of campus life with renovations to Coffeehouse, the multicultural center and study spaces.

Nina Katchadourian’s Please, Please, Pleased to Meet’cha, a temporary art exhibition occurring under the auspices of Rice Public Art, is a tad more unconventional than other site-specific art pieces. It consists, in a literal sense, of a handful of speakers tied up high in the trees of a grove outside Brochstein Pavilion.

Assigned roommates. It’s a struggle that almost all new students at Rice have to deal with. But sometimes these pairings work out surprisingly well, leading to great friendships and pairs who live together all four years.

On April 5, Vice President Mike Pence took the stage of the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy to announce developments in the international diplomatic offensive against Nicolás Maduro’s dictatorship in Venezuela. This sparked one of the largest displays of political activism on campus in recent memory, as a diverse coalition of student groups protested against Pence’s socially conservative policy stances and his role in President Donald Trump’s administration.

Rice men’s tennis went undefeated in three matches this weekend during the Conference USA Showcase at the George R. Brown Tennis Center. The Owls defeated the University of Southern Mississippi 4-1 on Friday morning, bested the University of Alabama, Birmingham 4-0 on Saturday afternoon and finished the showcase with a 4-1 win over University of Texas, San Antonio on Sunday.

A new multicultural center will be built as part of renovations to the Rice Memorial Center, which will involve demolishing and rebuilding every part of the center excluding the chapel and offices adjacent to Ray Courtyard, according to Vice President for Administration Kevin Kirby.

The Hispanic Association for Cultural Enrichment at Rice ultimately decided not sponsor the protest against Vice President Mike Pence’s speech on Venezuela to respect the conflicting opinions of their organization’s members.

Lance Armstrong, the cyclist whose seven Tour de France titles were revoked due to doping, answered questions ranging from his cheating scandals to whether he’d donate to Hanszen College in a candid question and answer session Tuesday evening.

The Rice women’s tennis team celebrated Senior Day this past Sunday by stretching its win streak to three after defeating Florida International University in a 4-0 win. It was also the second straight match in which the Owls shut out their opponent 4-0.

Twenty-four year old senior Andrew Dunlap inherited his middle name, Bellows, from his grandfather. As a husband, father and designated hitter for the Rice baseball team, Dunlap said he isn’t quite the vocal leader his middle name would suggest.